


All of Me

by dr_jb5



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Family Fluff, Pitch Perfect AU, Slow Burn, bechloe smut, single parent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-05-03 06:46:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14563329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dr_jb5/pseuds/dr_jb5
Summary: AU Bechloe Fic.When Chloe was twenty-one, she made a mistake and her life quickly turned upside down. And for the last seven years, she's been able to successfully navigate the single-parent life and build a budding career as a veterinarian. But when award-winning artist and music producer Beca Mitchell enters her life, Chloe soon realizes all the things that she missed out on.





	1. Chapter 1

Chloe Beale was exhausted.

She didn't have a choice and had to pull herself together in a very short amount of time.

And it's all because of that one night, so many years ago. If she had known then what she knew now, well, let's just say that her life would have ended up drastically different. It's not that she regrets her choices, not at all. In fact, she's perfectly content with how things happened.

As she stood in her kitchen, preparing breakfast for the busy day ahead, she couldn't help but wonder where she'd be had things gone down a different path.

* * *

_Seven years ago ..._

Chloe was in the prime of her senior year. Fall semester finals were drawing closer and closer in the coming weeks and she was ready. She had a routine and she liked it. Classes in the morning, followed by a few hours of downtime where she'd get a workout in, before heading back to campus for her last class of the day. And during the evening, she had Bellas rehearsals.

Though it didn't look like she'd get the chance to go because, as she was packing up her things and getting ready to head over to the rehearsal space after class, her phone buzzed. It was a text from Aubrey saying that she was giving the Bellas the night off. The captain claimed that with final exams looming over their heads, they could all use their Friday night to study.

That single text had Chloe grinning like no other. Finally, for the first time in a long time, she had a night to herself. And she knew exactly how she was going to spend it: sleeping.

She jogged down the stairs, a smile on her face the entire way down and out of the academic building.

It was freezing outside. She wrapped herself in the warmth of her jacket, huddling deeper into the soft fabric, clenched her teeth as shivers ran down her body, and headed toward the Bella house.

The Bella's house was a good half-mile off campus, which meant that she had a long walk ahead of her. Chloe practically had the sidewalk to herself, minus the occasional student running to the library or student center.

She wasn't too far from the house when she passed a popular bar that students visited frequently, conversation spilling from its doors. Chloe hesitated, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her coat.

 _Oh, what the hell_ , she thought before opening the door to the bar and ducking inside. _One drink couldn't hurt_.

Walking up to the bar, she took a seat and asked for a beer. The bartender gave a nod of his head before placing the bottle down with a thud.

About thirty minutes later, she had made a friend in a handsome man who had taken a seat next to her at the bar. He couldn't have been more than two years older than her. He ordered a drink for himself and another beer for the redhead. And after one too many rounds of drinks, Chloe was feeling herself get light-headed. She knew that was a bad sign, and decided to ignore it anyways. Because the man, all brown hair and green eyes, was completely captivating and had her smiling like crazy the entire time. Something she hadn't done in a long time.

And when he asked if he could walk her home, Chloe just nodded her head as she clumsily got up. They both wobbled from the bar after he paid for their drinks, giggling as they tried to be as quiet as possible as they came up to the large house.

The mystery man had her pressed against the door, which made it that much harder to unlock it. The keys fumbled in her hand and the duo laughed when she dropped the keys on the ground.

"Shh," Chloe whispered, "We have to be quiet."

He just nodded, but a laugh still bubbled from his lips, unable to help himself.

Eventually, they got the damn door open and stumbled inside.

* * *

Her head was pounding. Waking up to a pressure behind her eyes, it felt like a drum was beating in her head. Chloe groaned, rolling over to her side and pulling the covers over herself to block the harsh rays of the sun peeking through the blinds.

 _Thank god today's Saturday_ , she thought.

Then an identical sigh sounded from her right, followed by an arm looping around her waist.

_No. No. No._

"Good morning, beautiful."

Chloe gave the arm a hard shove and brought the covers up to her body as she shimmied up to the headboard. He was here. The handsome mystery man she'd met last night was asleep in her bed. And he was naked.

"Are you okay?" He asked when he saw her terrified expression.

"Get out," was all she could manage to say.

"What?" He sat up, reaching over to gently touch her thigh, but she flinched away. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes. You- you need to leave," Chloe said, voice shaking a bit. "Please get out."

"Okay. I'll leave." A defeated sigh left the man's lips as he sat at the edge of the bed, grabbing his clothes off the ground and getting dressed. Chloe didn't watch him, her eyes glued to the purple polka-dot comforter as she tried to remember what happened. She had the faintest memories of last night.

Without saying another word, the man left and pounded down the steps, the front door clicking closed as it shut.

"Fuck," she hissed, ducking under the covers again.

Chloe, of course, wouldn't realize until later the consequences of her actions. But for now, she remained in the safety of her bed and didn't leave for the rest of the morning. She was grateful that none of the Bellas came to check in on her. Not sure what she'd do or how she'd react if they had.

When she eventually emerged from her bedroom, it was nearing noon. Her head still hurt like crazy. God, she needed a shower. Like now.

As the warm water cascaded down her skin, she vowed to never do this again.

* * *

February came and was as cold as ever, especially on Valentine's Day. Usually, it was one of Chloe's favorite holidays. She loved love. But today, she despised it. As couple after couple walked passed her on campus, it took everything in her to not get sick at the sight. But the all-too familiar churning in her stomach told her differently.

She practically ran back to the Bella house and beelined it for the bathroom. Her stomach rejected the breakfast she had just a few hours earlier. Only two months in and she was over this.

She'd been late. About two weeks late. And when that strip turned pink, Chloe knew her life had changed completely.

None of the other Bellas knew of her pregnancy, not even Aubrey. The redhead wasn't sure how to go about telling the other girl the news, especially since they had regionals and, hopefully, the championship coming up in a couple months.

There's no way Chloe would be able to perform like this, let alone three months from now when she'd be, well, _bigger_. But she had to eventually. Could only keep this a secret for so long before it becomes obvious.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Chloe slumped on the cold tile floor of the bathroom and leaned her head back against the wall. She began to rub her still-flat stomach. "Hey, little one. Enough of this, okay?"

That's when a knock sounded on the door and the unmistakable voice of her captain could be heard. "Chloe? Are you alright?"

Getting to her feet, she slowly walked over to the door and opened it to reveal a concerned-looking Aubrey. "Hi," she whispered.

"Holy shit, Chloe. You look awful. What's wrong?"

Eyes cast down at the floor, she silently ushered Aubrey inside and shut the door.  _Now or never_.

"I've got something to tell you. Uh, you might want to sit down for this," Chloe instructed her best friend, hands clasped together nervously as she padded back and forth in the small bathroom.

Without question, Aubrey took a seat on the edge of the bathtub and waited patiently.

"I'm not sure how you're going to handle this and I..."

The blonde shook her head, "You know you can tell me anything, right? What's going-"

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

"He's adorable, Chloe," Aubrey grinned, giving her best friend a huge hug as she wrangled a dozen white and baby blue balloons in one hand.

"I never thought it was possible to love someone this much," Chloe confessed, tears welling in her eyes from both exhaustion and happiness at the little bundle in her arms. "He's perfect."

Aubrey placed the bouquet of balloons down on the bedside table, before asking, "Can I hold him?"

Chloe watched as Aubrey cooed and cawed at her son. _Wow_. The tiny human in her best friend's arms was her son. She had a son.

"What's his name?"

"Elijah Alexander," she smiled.

"Aww. I love it. Little Eli," Aubrey said, looking at the redhead in the bed before glancing down at the baby in her arms. "And I know the rest of the girls wish they were here."

Chloe shrugs in response, a yawn falling from her lips as she fiddles with a loose strand on the hospital blanket. "I'm actually glad it's just you. Not sure if Eli or I could handle all the Bellas at once right now. It's nice and quiet, just the way we like it. And we both know Amy has no chill."

Aubrey settled in a chair next to the bed. "You never had a baby shower, so maybe in a month or so we can throw one and invite all the girls?"

She smiled at the suggestion. "That's a great idea."

Turning on her baby voice, Aubrey stared down at Eli's impossibly green eyes and said, "Of course, it's a good idea, mommy. Auntie Bree is so smart and pretty."

Chloe laughed. She couldn't help it. Another yawn then left her lips, "Hey. Um, do you mind watching him for a bit? I am so tired and just need a quick nap."

"Not at all." Aubrey stood up, bringing Eli to his mom. "Give mamma a kiss."

Pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, Chloe took in her son once more before whispering, "Love you, bubba."

With a final kiss, Chloe curled up into the bed and shut her eyes. In an instant, she was fast asleep, the exhaustion of the last couple of days finally catching up to her.

In her arms, Eli was pressed closely to Aubrey's chest as she sat back down in the chair, rocking gently back and forth. A small hand grabbed a hold of Aubrey's shirt and never let go.

* * *

_Present Day ..._

"Eli! Hurry up, little man! I've gotta go to work and you've got school!" Chloe called as she walked past her son's room before making her way back to the kitchen, the smell of pancakes filling the apartment.

"One sec!" A small but energetic voice replied from behind the door.

"If you don't hurry, I'm gonna eat all of these chocolate chip pancakes by myself," she teased, smiling when she heard a loud gasp and some scuffling come from his room. A door opened a minute later, followed by little feet scurrying across the wood floor.

"Knew that'd getcha," she beamed, kissing a head of red hair as soon as he sat at the countertop. "You want whipped cream?"

A big toothy grin blossomed on his lips. "Duh!"

That made Chloe laugh. "Right! What was I thinking. Of course you do!"

As breakfast went on, Chloe smiled down at the little lookalike next to her. She couldn't believe this was her life now.

When Elijah was born in early August that fateful year, Aubrey was the only one to stop by while they were in the hospital. Yeah, the Bellas would visit as much as they could when they had time − she even stayed with Amy for a couple months after he was born, before moving to New York and getting her own place in the city as she started vet school.

It also didn't help that her family had abandoned her as soon as they'd heard the news about her pregnancy − it was part of the reason she decided to move to the complete opposite end of the country. They didn't even show up at the hospital for Eli's birth. No card. No well wishes. Nothing. It'd been like that every year for his birthday too, even though she did try to reach out and make contact with them, offering to fly them out from Portland to New York.

They never responded.

It wasn't ideal, especially since she wanted Eli to get to know his grandparents and uncles. She'd like to mend that bridge with them one day, maybe.

For now though, Aubrey and the rest of the Bellas were her true family. So here she was, raising a child at twenty-eight in New York. Sure, there have been some struggles along the road as she tried to balance single parent life and work, but she and Eli managed.

And Chloe doesn't regret a single second of any of it. Eli was doing well in school and Chloe had just secured her own veterinary clinic two months ago. Thing's couldn't have been better.

"Hey, mom?" Her seven-year-old's voice brought her back to the present.

Chloe shook her head before asking, "Yeah, bubba?"

He pointed to the clock on the microwave. "It's almost eight-thirty." She followed his gaze and gasped. He was right.

 _Oh crap._ "Shoot, we're late! We gotta go! Leave your plate, we'll grab it later."

Purse in hand, she helped Eli get his backpack on before slipping a hoodie over her scrubs. The two scrambled to get the rest of their things, the dirty plates sitting on the countertop as they rushed out the apartment door, closing it behind them.

A beat passed. "Mom! _Keys_!"

The front door opened again and Chloe dashed inside, plucking the keys out of the small bowl on the table near the entryway, before she ran back out.


	2. Chapter 2

After the mad dash that was dropping Eli off at school, Chloe rushed to the veterinary clinic and nothing could have prepared her for what would end up being one of the craziest days in a long time. For some reason, everyone's dog, cat, bird, and ferret had come in today. It was the Friday before Labor Day weekend and one of the clinic's busiest.

James, her new assistant, huffed a huge breath as he brought Chloe a folder. "Crazy day, huh?"

The two were the last ones left and there was a mountain of forms, paperwork, and other miscellaneous files to fill out before the day was done. Which was where the redhead currently found herself, filling out form after form at the front desk.

Looking up for a brief second, Chloe nodded. "Insane. I am so glad we're going to be closed until Tuesday. We all deserve a little down time, especially after today."

James leaned up against the desk, crossing his arms, and asked, "You and Eli got plans for the big weekend? Family coming to town? Fancy barbecues to attend?"

She hesitated a second before answering, signing her name on one of the forms. "Uh, no. Actually, a couple of friends from college will be in town, so Eli and I are gonna show them around the city." James didn't say anything, waiting for her to elaborate.

Chloe continued, "Neither of them have been to New York before so we'll be hitting all of the tourist spots − Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building − it'll be fun. Busy but fun."

The young man smiled at that. "Sounds it."

"What about you?" Chloe asked politely.

"Visiting my folks in Florida. My dad's got this big family get-together planned," he answered, glancing down at his wrist watch. "Speaking of which, is that the time? Uh, I know this is very last minute, Dr. Beale, but my flight leaves in about four hours and I've still got to pack. So is it cool if I duck out a bit early?"

"Oh, goodness. Totes! Go, go, go." Chloe ushered him out, waving her hands towards the door. "Get out of here! I can finish up."

James nodded towards the large pile of papers in front of his boss. "I− Are you sure?"

"Go now before I change my mind."

He laughed. "Awesome. Well, hey, have a great weekend. I'll see you bright and early Tuesday morning!"

And with that he was rushing out the door, backpack in tow. Chloe didn't even get a chance to say goodbye, he left that quickly. She stood staring at the now empty office. "You too," she said to no one.

Eyes landing on the stacks of folders, Chloe let out a sigh before diving back in.

* * *

She parked outside of the school, right by the playground and walked toward the fenced area that separated the school grounds from the sidewalk. There were a few parents who stayed in their cars, but Chloe preferred to stand outside and wait for her little man by the school entrance.

Some parents stood beside her, all in fancy suits and sleek skirts. She got a few sideway glances from a pair just a few steps away, the duo mumbling between themselves. She knew what they thought about her and Eli. She's heard the whispers, the false rumors that made Eli's dad into a plethora of different things, from a drug dealer to a soldier away on tour and everything in between.

And she didn't care. As long as those rumors never affected Eli and his education and social life, then those parents could say whatever the hell they wanted.

Chloe was a highly successful veterinarian, quickly becoming one of the best in the city. She had an incredible son who was one of the most down to earth, sweetest kids you'd ever met. Who cared what the other parents thought about the fact that there was no father figure in the picture. It was none of their business anyway.

So, she huddled in her light gray hoodie to brave the chilly wind that nipped at her skin and ignored the coldness of the two parents behind her.

Just then, her phone buzzed in her hoodie pocket and she dipped her hand inside to grab it. Amy had texted her, saying that she and Flo had just landed and will be heading to her apartment within the next hour.

 _Perfect_ , she thought. She shot them a quick reply, before looking up to see her seven-year-old bounding down the school steps and running toward her. She tucked her phone away and met him halfway.

"Hey, Eli!" She greeted, Eli hugging her leg tightly. Chloe reached down and tousled his red curls.

The boy jerked away and fixed his hair. "Mom! Quit it!"

"It's getting long, my man. Flo and Amy aren't gonna recognize you," she grinned and waited for her son's reaction. He had no clue the two women were staying for the weekend, so she knew this would be a surprise to hear.

He perked up at this bit of information. "Wait. Auntie Flo _and_ Auntie Amy are coming?"

"Yep. They're here now. We're gonna meet them at home, so let's go!"

Eli followed his mom to the car, bouncing the entire walk there as they passed the parents who had been talking about her behind her back. Chloe shot a tight-lipped smile in their direction. "Gail. John," she said with no annoyance or resentment in her voice.

The two individuals shakily nodded their heads in reply.

Eli hopped in the back as his mom got in the driver's seat. She started the car and pulled out from the curve, looking back at him in the rear view mirror. He kicked at the passenger seat wildly. Well, until Chloe sent him a glare in the mirror. Then he stopped.

Turning on the radio, the duo's favorite song came on and they both sang along. It was by one of the hottest artists in the music industry and they were some of her biggest fans. Chloe made a mental note to check out her new album and maybe even burn a copy for the car.

It wasn't until the song ended that Eli asked, "Can I stay up tonight with Auntie Flo and Amy?"

"Of course," she grinned, turning down their street in search of a parking spot. "But even though it's a long weekend, you can't stay up too late. Okay?"

Eli just nodded his head, looking out the car window as the city passed by. As soon as Chloe found a spot, she parallel parked and helped her all-too hyper son get his things out of the car. She grabbed his backpack and tossed it over a shoulder.

"We're gonna take them around the city," she said, sticking out a hand. "But I'm not sure where to start. Where do you think should we take them, bubba?"

Eli slipped his hand in hers as they walked up the steps, entering the building. "Can we go to the zoo? I wanna see the lions and Auntie Amy always makes the best animal sounds!"

Chloe laughed. "We can definitely go to the zoo! Where else?"

She nodded and hummed in response to all of Eli's suggestions as they rode up the elevator to the fifth floor. Once they reached their door, Chloe pulled out her keys and unlocked it, letting Eli go first.

"So what should we do tonight, Eli? Movie night? Board games?" She asked his fleeting form, the boy running to his room. Chloe set his backpack next to the countertop, placing her purse on one of the stools. "We gotta figure out what to do for dinner, too."

Eli's head popped out from his room. "Pizza! And _Madagascar_!"

"Perfect. But salad then pizza."

"Deal!"

About thirty minutes later, once the pizza and salad had been ordered and the dishes put away, the two Beales found themselves waiting at the kitchen counter for their guests to arrive.

Chloe had changed out of her scrubs and into a pair of pink pajama bottoms and a gray v-neck t-shirt. Eli, on the other hand, was wearing the Batman footie pajamas Jessica and Ashley had gotten him for his birthday, complete with bat ears on the hood and cape on the back. Every twenty seconds, Eli would look at the front door just waiting for it to open.

It wasn't until about fifteen minutes later that a knock was heard. Almost immediately, the boy jumped off his seat and booked it for the door, the cape flying behind him, with Chloe hot on his tail.


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe struggled to get out of bed, the blankets tangled around her form as she tried to reach for the alarm clock. It took her a couple of tries, but then eventually she silenced the damn thing with a huge sigh.

She clamored out of bed and padded to the bathroom, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. Still trying to wake up, she brushed her teeth in silence. Chloe heard sounds coming from the kitchen and heard her son interacting with his pseudo aunts; they were probably causing all sorts of trouble.

"Mom!"

With the toothbrush still in her mouth, she asked, "Yeah?"

"We made chocolate chip pancakes!" Eli called back, before running to the bathroom door to show his mom a plate stacked full of the sweet breakfast treat. The seven-year-old was struggling to keep the heavy plate from toppling over.

Chloe quickly spit into the sink, wiped her mouth, and walked over to Eli to help him carry the plate back to the kitchen. "I can see that," she said, chuckling at her son's excitement.

The two met Fat Amy and Flo in the kitchen, both of whom were already dressed and ready to go for the day ahead.

"Mornin', Chloe!" The Australian greeted, stuffing a handful of chocolate chips into her mouth.

"Good morning," Flo echoed, smiling at the two redheads as they entered the room.

"You guys didn't have to make breakfast!" Chloe said, looking at the counter top full of breakfast food. There were pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit, and muffins strewn across the marble counter. " _I'm_ supposed to be the one making you breakfast! You're guests in our home."

"In my country, it is customary for house guests to feed the hosts," Flo explained. "Usually, we make empanadas, but these two turned down that idea as soon as I suggested it."

"We can't help it if our tastes are more refined than yours," Fat Amy said, pointing between herself and the smaller redhead. "Besides, who eats empanadas for breakfast anyways? We're not in Rome."

Chloe just shook her head as her two friends starting to go back and forth on what constitutes as breakfast food. Eli sat by her side at the counter, a huge smile on his face as he, too, watched Amy and Flo duke it out.

About twenty minutes later, once all the food had been consumed, dishes put away, and jackets were on, it was time to make their mark on the city as much as possible over the course of the next two days − or, as Eli liked to call it, their "Ultra-Mega-Gigantic-Super-Sized Weekend o' Fun."

The group made their way downstairs, Eli holding his mom's hand in one and Flo's in the other, while Fat Amy brought up the rear. All bundled up, they walked down the street and enjoyed the brisk morning.

"What do you say we grab some coffee before we get our day started?" Chloe suggested, looking between Amy and Flo.

"Uh, no. I'm okay, actually," Fat Amy said. She then gestured to herself, pointing up and down the length of her body. "You do not wanna see what happens when I drink coffee. Trust me. It's not a pretty sight."

Chloe, with a puzzled expression on her face, just nodded. She asked, "Flo? What about you? Coffee?"

"No, thanks. I'm good." She gestured between Chloe and Eli, "You two go. We'll wait outside."

"You sure?"

The pair just nodded. A tug on Chloe's hand told her that not everybody was on board with that idea.

"But, mom. I don't drink coffee," Eli whined, scrunching up his freckled nose in disgust at the mention of the beverage.

"Hot chocolate?"

His sour expression changed on a dime and, suddenly, everything was right with the world again. Chloe just grinned down at her son, giving his hand a squeeze. They walked into a small, quaint little shop, relishing in the warmth the coffee store provided. Chloe took off her beanie and placed it in her coat pocket, looking around the store. There were quite a few people in line already.

Eli led the way, turning around and walking backwards as a way of showing off for his mom. "Look! Look! I'm moon walking!" he said on a laugh.

The little guy didn't see where he was going and bumped right into a petite woman's legs. Chloe had tried to stop him, but she was too late. She rushed forward to catch her son as the impact pushed him backward. The woman turned to see what had just hit her.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Chloe apologized, meeting the stranger's gaze. That's when she audibly gasped. Because was looking into the eyes of none other than Beca Mitchell, famous solo artist and producer. Who also just so happened to be Chloe’s celebrity crush.

"Holy shit."

Fat Amy and Flo were definitely gonna regret not coming in now.

* * *

Beca was sick of this. She'd been struggling for days, _weeks_ now, trying to come up with the final verse of her latest single.

She had a few more days to get this single wrapped up and finished. Otherwise, she'd be in breech of her contract and God knows what Theo and Sammy would say if she missed the deadline.

 _Pull yourself together, Mitchell_ , she thought. _You can do this._

Which is why she now found herself in her usual coffee shop. It was small, secluded and hardly anyone here recognized her. Here, she was simply Beca Mitchell and not Beca Mitchell, award-winning artist.

It was nice to come here, write new songs, take in the peace and quiet, something she hasn't had in a long time.

Ever since her first hit single came out two years ago, her life has been a rollercoaster ride − between the tours, album releases, award shows, and everything else that went along with the life of a successful artist. Safe to say, she was exhausted.

And exhaustion and stress are two things that do not go well together, especially for Beca.

So, she stood in the relatively long line and hoped that with some caffeine, maybe a little food, she'd be able to put the final pieces together on this damn song. To pass the time, she whipped out her phone and opened up one of the many gaming apps she had.

Just as she was finishing a level she'd been stuck on for quite some time, she felt a small body hit her from behind. Beca fumbled with her phone, catching it before it dropped to the floor, and turned around to see what had hit her.

A small boy with flaming red hair. He was clinging to a woman with equally red hair but stunning blue eyes that immediately had Beca transfixed. She must be the boy's mom. The woman was offering apologizes but then stopped when their eyes met.

"Holy shit," the woman whispered in disbelief. Beca grinned to herself, looks like some one here _did_ recognize her after all.

"Sorry," the small boy grumbled, meeting Beca's gaze.

Beca shook her head quickly, turning her phone off and placing it into a pocket of her leather jacket. "Oh no. It's not a problem, really. Accidents happen, right, my man?"

The boy nodded his head, before letting go of his mom and standing on his own. He had an inquisitive look on his face as he stared at her. "Are you getting coffee?"

"Uh, yeah. I am." Beca then asked, unsure, "Are− are you?"

She laughed when he shook his head no, tongue sticking out, "No, silly! Hot chocolate. My mom drinks coffee. She _loves_ coffee. Like a lot."

That's when Beca tore her gaze from one redhead to other. When the woman looked at her, Beca swore her heart melted. God, she had to be the most beautiful woman she's ever seen.

"She does, huh?"

* * *

Chloe couldn't believe this. Here she was, in line at a coffee shop with her son, who was conversing with her favorite singer. She was speechless. No way this was happening.

She looked at the scene before her, she shook her head in amazement. But it _was_ happening.

Beca kept stealing glances at her, smiling as she did so, and Chloe could only smile back. She kept Eli close to her as he talked animatedly with his new friend, telling her all about how he liked to put peppermint in his hot chocolate.

Chloe had her guard up. She didn't like when strangers took an interest in Eli. Sure, Beca was a famous singer and actually seemed quite down-to-earth and sweet, and so what if she was even prettier in person? Can never be too careful, even with her favorite artist.

And before Chloe could say anything, Eli was extending a small hand out to the singer. "I'm Eli! And this is my mom, Chloe. Auntie Amy and Auntie Flo are outside."

Beca shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Eli. I'm Beca." The brunette then looked up at Chloe, extending her hand. "Pleasure meeting you, Chloe."

Chloe smiled, too in shock to say anything. Eli, on the other hand, couldn't stop talking. He started to tell Beca all about the movie they watched last night and the pillow fight that commenced afterward. It had Beca smiling like crazy, the small kid having no filter.

That's when another voice sounded behind them. "Next in line, please."

Beca turned and walked up to the counter, ordering a basic black coffee and scone. She then turned to mom and son, "And whatever they're having."

Chloe started to protest, "Oh no. We couldn't possibly−"

"No objections," Beca said, taking a few steps to the redhead and giving her a little nudge toward the counter. "Please."

She hesitated, before moving with the brunette toward the barista and ordering herself a caramel macchiato and Eli a hot chocolate.

Once the drinks had been paid for, they waited over at the other side of the shop to pick them up.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Chloe said, bottom lip between her teeth.

"I wanted to," Beca grinned. "He's a sweet kid."

That's when Chloe nodded, her gaze now on her son as he clung to the counter, standing on his tip-toes to watch their drinks be made. "Yeah, he can be a handful sometimes, but he's pretty amazing."

Beca had her hands in her pockets. "So is it just Eli or...?"

"Yep. Just me and Eli."

"Oh man. Single-parent, huh?" Chloe nodded, surprised that Beca actually seemed genuinely interested. "That can't be easy."

"It's not. Luckily, I've got tons of help."

"Good. Help is good."

Just then, Eli was calling them over. "Mom, Beca! Our drinks are ready." The seven-year-old slowly handed the two grownups their cups, looking up at his mom expectantly before asking Beca, "Can we see you again?"

Chloe smiled, reaching down to squeeze Eli's shoulder. "Maybe, bubba. Beca's probably very busy and we wouldn't want to intrude."

"Actually, I'd love to see you again, little man," Beca said without hesitation. "You, too, Chloe."

A blush found its way on Chloe's cheeks. "Thanks again, Beca. It was, uh, very nice to meet you. Maybe next time I'll buy?"

"I'd like that," she replied. "A lot. I'd like that a lot."

Chloe gave a curt nod. "Good."

"See you around, Eli," Beca said, holding out a fist, which Eli eagerly bumped with his own. "You stay out of trouble, okay? Be good for your mom."

"I will," the boy promised. "Bye!"

Chloe held out her hand to her son and started to lead the way out the door. She tore one more final glance back at the singer, and smiled when Beca gave a little wave.

Once outside, she walked over to Fat Amy and Flo as they leaned against the side of the building. The two stopped their conversation when they saw the wide-eyed expression on their friend's face.

"Chloe? Are you okay?" Flo asked, concern etched in her voice.

"Yeah, you look like you saw a ghost," Fat Amy added. "Or you really, really have to pee."

The redhead tried to speak, her mouth opening and closing, but no sound came out. So Eli spoke up for her. "Beca got me a hot chocolate!"

"Beca? Beca who?" Fat Amy wondered, walking up to the window and pressing her face against the glass to see if this Beca woman was still inside. That's when she saw Beca-effing-Mitchell sitting across the way, headphones on and laptop open.

When Fat Amy gasped, Flo immediately joined her side and peered into the coffee shop. A few seconds later, an identical gasp left her lips.

"Oh my," Flo breathed.

Fat Amy walked over to Chloe, grasping her shoulders as she shook the small woman. "You met _the_ Beca Mitchell?!"

"Um, yeah?"

"How are you not freaking out right now? You just met your all-time favorite singer. I'd be, well, let's just say I'd be doing unspeakable things." She winked at her friend.

Chloe scrunched up her face. "Gross. And honestly, I have no idea. It's still a bit surreal. I had no clue what to say or do. She probably thought I was just another a crazy fan or something."

Fat Amy rolled her eyes, letting her go to rejoin Flo at the window in order to peep on the famous singer again.

As Chloe put her beanie back on, she shook her head and said, "Guys, stop staring. She's gonna−"

But she was cut short by Fat Amy and Flo jerking away from the window, both gasping for air. 

"−see you," Chloe finished with a huff, adjusting the hat.

"Um...” Fat Amy drew out. "... she’s walking this way."

"Wait. She's _what_?"

Fat Amy blew out a puff of air. "Looks like she didn't find you crazy after all. Which is pretty surprising, you know, considering you're a ginger."

Just then, the coffee shop door opened.


	4. Chapter 4

When the coffee shop door opened, Chloe held her breath in anticipation. Only, it wasn't Beca who stepped out. Instead, it was another woman who gave the group a forced smile when she noticed them all staring blankly at her.

Chloe pushed out the air and started to corral her son and friends together. "Come on, guys. We better get to the zoo before it gets too crowded."

Fat Amy and Flo trudged along behind Chloe and Eli, disappoint marking their features when a certain singer failed to make an appearance.

* * *

Beca walked back to her table, took a seat and opened up her laptop. Putting her headphones on, she didn’t log in or open her mixing software. She merely sipped on her coffee, a smile breaking out on her lips as she replayed the conversation that happened just moments ago – a conversation she wasn’t entirely convinced had actually occurred. 

But, it had and she’d met Chloe ... _something_.

Crap. She had no clue what this woman’s last name was! Beca slumped a bit in her chair at this realization, brow furrowed.

She did learn that Chloe was a coffee lover and when embarrassed, her cheeks would turn a rosy pink color. Plus, she had these crystal blue eyes that you could easily get lost in and she smelt like strawberries, which had Beca wondering if it was her shampoo or perfume. Maybe a combination of the two.

But perhaps the biggest thing Beca had learned about her was that she was a mom to the sweetest kid Beca had ever come across, and she's not what you would call a "kid person." For whatever reason, though, Eli – which _had_ to be short for something – had a hold on her. Maybe it was the fact the kid was a mirror image of his mom, with that red hair and adorable freckles spattered upon his cheeks.

The singer did note that the only difference between the two was their eyes. The boy’s green were in stark contrast to his mom’s blue. And Beca couldn’t help but wonder if his dad has those eyes? Which then had her wondering if there a man in the picture?

She didn't see Chloe as divorced because, honestly, who would ever let a woman like that go? Although, Chloe did say she’s a single mom and had help with her son, so maybe her parents? Siblings, perhaps? Friends?

"So many questions,” she muttered, sitting forward and leaning her arms on the small table. 

 _Who are you, Chloe?_ She wondered.

A sudden movement to her left, near the entrance, caught Beca’s eye and she turned to see two figures pressed up against the glass window of the shop.

“What the hell?” She squinted, trying to make out the distant faces and hoping to God it wasn’t the damn paparazzi. But then a flash of unmistakable red flickered by –  _Chloe –_ and the two bodies against the glass were gone in a hurry.

With her curiosity getting the better of her, Beca slid her headphones off, stood up, and headed for the door, leaving her things behind. But when the petite singer eventually stepped out, there was no one there.

“Damn,” she muttered under her breath, searching up and down the sidewalk in search of a mane of red hair. She was gone, or maybe it wasn't even her. Maybe she was so caught up in this woman to think straight that she was imagining things. Yeah, that had to be it.

After one final look, just in case, Beca begrudgingly went back inside the shop feeling defeated. With a resigned sigh, the singer stewed in silence as she sat back down.

She wanted to know more, like what Chloe’s favorite color was. If she preferred the wintertime over the springtime. What her taste in music was like. Beca wanted to know every little detail about this woman. But she had no clue how or where to start. She didn't even know the woman's last name for God's sake.

All Beca knew was that she had to see her again. No matter what.

So, instead of sulking and becoming lost in her own thoughts, she decided to be productive and went back to the one thing she  _did_ know: music. This time, the lyrics flowed so easily and the song was finally starting to come together.

And it was all thanks to the beautiful redheaded woman and her adorable son.

* * *

“So care to tell us about your little meeting?” Fat Amy asked, the four of them walking around the Tropic Zone of the Central Park Zoo.

Chloe tilted her head at the other woman, narrowing her eyes just a little. "What’s there to tell?”

Fat Amy fixed Chloe with a look. "Oh, I don’t know. How about the fact that Beca-effing-Mitchell bought you coffee and you’re acting like it didn’t happen?!"

“It did happen, Amy,” Chloe countered, leaning against one of the inner walls in the exhibit and glancing over at her son, who was currently staring and giggling at a lemur through the glass.

“Then tell us about it,” Flo encouraged. “Only if you want to,” she quickly added, shooting Fat Amy a look.

With a sigh, Chloe nodded. Fat Amy and Flo guided her over to an empty bench and sat down, waiting in silence for the full story.

"We walked into the shop and Eli was goofing off, not really paying attention to where he was going, and he- he ran into her, right smack into her calves. After he apologized, he started talking with her like it was nothing, like they were old friends.”

Fat Amy and Flo couldn’t help but smile at how animated their friend was getting as she told the story.

Doing her best Eli impression, Chloe continued, "He introduced us, saying 'I'm Eli and this is my mom, Chloe. She likes a lot of coffee.'" Chloe stood up, pacing in front of the bench, hands in the pockets of her jacket.

“He’s like your little wingman,” Flo observed with a chuckle.

"No, he’s not. He–“ She stopped, blowing out a puff of air before continuing, “It- it’s not … _normal_. You know?"

"Why isn't it?” Fat Amy wondered. “To mini ginger over there, Beca is just a nice person that bought him some hot chocolate. She’s not the famous singer you have a huge toner for.”

“But I don't have–“ Chloe started.

“But nothing. Why are you overreacting?”

"I'm not!" Fat Amy and Flo raised their eyebrows at that. "Okay, maybe _I am_ , a little. It's just ... weird to have Beca Mitchell buying me and my son drinks." Chloe sat back down on the bench between her friends and let her head fall into her palms.

“Well, it’s over now. And you’ll probably never see her again,” Flo said, trying her best to calm the clearly upset redhead. She placed a delicate hand on Chloe’s shoulder.

"Yeah, about that ..." Chloe mumbled before sitting up and looking between the two women. They waited in silence. "I might have implied to not only Beca but Eli, too, that we’d see each other again sometime. And she seemed like she wanted to. I even offered to buy drinks next time.”

Fat Amy shared a glance with Flo. “Well, _is_ there gonna be a next time?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Chloe shook her head. “I don’t know, maybe. No. Yes ... Ugh, what should I do?"

“Question is: do you want to see her again?” Fat Amy asked. Chloe slowly nodded her head. “Then that’s what you’re gonna do!”

Flo added, “Give it a week. Go back to the coffee shop and see if she’s there. It can't hurt.”

"Guys, no…" she said, shaking her head slowly.

" _Yes_ ,” Fat Amy countered, giving her friend’s upper arm a squeeze. “If Beca’s there, then great – you two will be off to the chapel in no time.”

“Not funny,” Chloe mumbled.

“And if she’s somehow pulled a Houdini and disappeared off the face of the earth, get some pastries and leave. You'll always have a great story to tell about how you met your celebrity crush and you basically went on a date with her."

"It wasn't a date," the redhead defended.

"Well, whatever it was, maybe it will happen again, but only if you let it. Whaddya say, Chloe?”

Chloe bit her lip in thought. Flo and Fat Amy watched as the cogs in her head were turning, weighing the pros and cons of it all. A moment later, they got their answer.

“Okay. I’ll do it. I'll go back." Her friends cheered rather obnoxiously, drawing the attention of other guests, and wrapped Chloe in a tight hug. "But I'm not bringing Eli with me. At least not this time. I don't want him getting his hopes up if she's not there." The pair nodded in understanding.

"Speaking of mini ginger ..." Fat Amy said, eyes dancing around the small exhibit space. "... Where'd he go?"

"What do you mean 'where'd he go?'" Chloe asked, the happy mood she was in quickly fading away and being replaced with sheer panic. "Eli?  _Eli?_ "

A few seconds later, a small voice sounded from around the corner. "Mom, you _have_ to see this big snake! It could eat a car!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I've had a lot going on in my personal life and haven't had the time (or energy) to sit down and write. I'll try to update soon! Appreciate your patience.


	5. Chapter 5

And, just like that, the long weekend was over. Chloe and Eli had just finished dropping Fat Amy and Flo off at the airport, and were now enjoying a relaxing the Monday off at the park before Eli was back at school the following day and Chloe was at work. 

It had been an eventful weekend, to say the least. They’d visited the Central Park Zoo and fed some ducks just outside the zoo’s gates, went all the way to the top of the Empire State Building, window-shopped their way through Times Square, and had dance parties and pillow fights almost every night.

And, on top of all of their adventures, Amy and Flo still found the time to mercilessly tease Chloe about her “raging toner” for Beca.

Because of their endless mocking, the brunette found her way into Chloe’s thoughts a lot _._ Like a lot, _a lot_.

Even now, as Chloe sat on an old park bench and watched Eli run around the playground with some other kids his age that he befriended since they’ve been here, she thought about Beca.

The optimistic side of Chloe liked to think that she'll see the petite singer again. But the realistic side reminded her that it was probably just a one-time experience. Beca had merely been amusing her, being nice for the sake of being nice. Besides, she had probably already forgotten about her at this point anyways. She _is_ a world-famous artist and music producer after all. She doesn’t have time for average people like Chloe and Eli.

And Chloe was just grateful Eli hadn’t brought up the singer at all this weekend, his mind too occupied with all the activities they found themselves caught up in. Chloe just didn’t want him to get hurt. He tended to get attached to people fairly quickly and had trouble letting go, and she didn’t want Eli to think that Beca was here to stay.

Because she wasn’t. And Chloe, for whatever reason, felt a pang in her chest at that realization.

But before she could get too wrapped up in that sad thought, Eli was bouncing into her vision. “You have fun, bubba? Make some new friends?” Chloe asked, grabbing her purse off the bench and leading him out of the park.

An enthusiastic “Yup!” was all she got in response.

The two walked around the neighborhood for a while, not a care in the world. Chloe half listened as Eli told her about the games he and the other kids played on the playground, her mind drifting back and forth between Eli and a certain brunette.

A small voice to her left shook her out of her thoughts. “What’d you say, bubba?”

Sighing dramatically, an eye roll accompanying it, Eli repeated his question, “Can we _please_ get some ice cream? It’s tradition!”

“Where do you think we’re heading right now?” Chloe returned, trying to figure out where the closest shop would be from their current location.

Eli jumped in the air, a single fist pointed toward the sky, as he let out a rambunctious “yes!”

Laughing, Chloe led Eli to the ice cream store she remembered was a few blocks down the street from the park.

“Let’s go then, Mr. Hyper!”

* * *

“ _Ow_. Brain freeze! Brain freeze!” Eli groaned, hands held up to his head as he swallowed a huge bite of ice cream.

The two were sitting inside the cute store at one of the tables by the window. It was a charming little shop, full of 1980s memorabilia and decor, neon colors, and old movie posters. Chloe loved it. Eli couldn't have cared less. His main and only focus was the huge bowl of ice cream sitting in front him.

“I told you to slow down,” Chloe laughed, running her fingers through his curls in an attempt to help him with the brain freeze. “You need to start listening to your mom more, little man.”

Eyes scrunched with a pout on his lips, Eli remained quiet as he worked his way through the brain freeze. Chloe merely watched, totally enamored, as she slowly ate her own ice cream. And when Eli proceeded to take yet another huge bite, she just shook her head and smiled.

Her kid was something else, and she loved him all the more for it.

* * *

By the time the duo made it home, it was nearing 9 o’clock. Both were absolutely exhausted from their eventful weekend.

Well, one was exhausted. The other was passed out in the arms of his mother.

The apartment was eerily quiet when Chloe walked in, the sounds she’d grown accustomed over the last few days were now gone, replaced with her own grunts as she carried the surprisingly heavy seven-year-old through the door.

God, he was getting too big for this.

She huffed in distress as she kicked the door shut with her foot, leaning against the wood for a moment before slowly working her way through the entry way, down the hallway, and into Eli's bedroom.

Once she helped him out of his clothes and into his pajamas, Chloe kissed her slumbering son good night and tucked him into bed. Chloe then headed to her own bedroom and prepared to get ready for the work day tomorrow. Setting out a pair of purple scrubs on top of her dresser, Chloe changed into a long-sleeved shirt and shorts and pulled her hair up into a bun before climbing into bed, her body sinking into the mattress with ease.

As soon as her head hit the pillow, she could feel herself drifting into the land of dreams. A soft smile tugged at her lips, the last image that flickered behind her eyes was of Beca Mitchell, and then everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

Beca needed a drink. 

But a glance at the clock told her it was only 8 in the morning, and the urge to flee and hide in her apartment with a bottle of aged whiskey was overwhelming.

"Beca, I just don't understand why you’re so caught up in this- this girl.”

A couple of days had passed since she’d met the breathtaking redhead, with the woman running in circles through the singer’s mind ever since. After their little meet cute, Beca found herself actually excited about the new track on her latest album. Which was totallynot something she could’ve said a week ago.

As soon as she’s nailed the final pieces of her song, she called up Theo and Sammy and scheduled a recording session. And that’s where Beca found herself now. 

But, instead of the ecstatic and “oh my god!” reactions she had been hoping for, Sammy was the least bit impressed.

“I’m not caught up with her, Sammy!” Beca argued as she stood inside the recording booth, brow furrowed in frustration. “And she’s not just some girl!”

“Then why did this single that started as a slow, mellow track turn into a pop song, like you’re suddenly Taylor Swift now?”

“It’s not–“

“I think we should take five, yeah?” Theo cut in, standing from his seat in front of the mixer. He looked between Beca and Sammy, eyeing them both with trepidation. The two were always at each other’s throats, and it wouldn’t have been a typical recording session had they not spat at each other. So, at least there’s that. Sort of ...

“Fine,” Beca huffed, aggressively taking her headphones off and stomping out of the booth. She grabbed her messenger bag and slipped out the door without another word.

Sammy was pacing back and forth, mumbling to himself about how working with Justin Bieber wasn’t this difficult. Theo shook his head at the other man, turning to the console and saving the session.

He didn’t understand why Sammy was so upset. If he was being honest, he liked what Beca did with the song. Sure, it was the total opposite of what her fans would expect from the brooding artist, but he had no doubt in his mind that it’d be a hit.

And he had this Chloe to thank. Whatever she did or said to Beca gave her that spark back that Theo had seen years ago when he first signed her on, as much as Beca tried to deny it.

If only he knew this woman’s last name, he could send her flowers, properly thanking her for getting his stubborn artist off her butt and into the studio.

Once everything was saved, he patted a still pacing Sammy on the shoulder before promptly leaving the grumbling man to his thoughts.

“I’ll be back, mate.”

* * *

Beca stepped off the elevator and into the lobby of the recording studio. She needed coffee, clear her mind a bit before going back and facing her producers.

She knew the song was different. Okay, it was really different. But it had felt ... _good_. She finally felt in her element, like she put the final pieces together on where she wanted this album to go. 

It was the beginning of a new era of Beca Mitchell, and she couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities down the road. And so what if Sammy didn’t like the new direction? She did. And Theo seemed to like it, or so she thought. The man did just stew in silence as she and Sammy went toe-to-toe, giving no indication that he enjoyed her new spin on the single.

Shaking her head, she stepped out and stared up at the dreary sky above and sighed as she tried to reel in her frustration. She could barely take a single step forward before a voice was calling for her.

“Oi, Beca! Wait up!”

Scrunching up her face, Beca slowly turned to find Theo heading in her direction at an alarming rate.

“What, Theo? I was just grabbing coffee.”

At that, he crossed his arms. He wasn’t buying it. “Uh huh. And were you planning on returning, or ditching again?”

Beca’s silence was all the answer he needed.

“That’s what I thought.” He took a step forward, entering Beca’s personal space. God, she hated it when he did this. It was too invasive and made her uncomfortable at times. Plus, he stared. Like a lot.

“Listen, Beca. Forget about what that knucklehead upstairs was saying, okay? The song is great– in fact, it’s better than great. You need to have some confidence in yourself, your abilities.”

“But what if... what if Sammy’s right, Theo? What if I’m completely changing my sound, all because of a girl.”

“So? Change is a good thing, Beca. Who cares if it's because of this Chloe? Maybe she'll be good for you." Beca nodded her head slowly. "And honestly, as charming and endearing your dark and stormy stuff is,” Theo started, grinning while he said it. “I’m liking this new, lighter side of you. And your fans will, too.”

“How- how do you know?”

“Because I’m your amazing producer and you love me!” At that, Beca made a disgusted face. Theo just laughed. “But really, Beca. Your fans aren’t gonna up-and-leave just because you’re updating your style. Trust in yourself, yeah?”

Shaking her head and giving a single shrug. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try. Okay?”

Hands held up in surrender, he smiled back at the petite woman. “That’s all I ask.”

“Well,” he continued. “ _That_ , and a coffee for me since you’re, you know, already heading in that direction.”

Theo promptly got smacked on the arm for that one. Beca smiled as she did it.

He started to make his way back inside, rubbing his now sore arm. “Once you’re back, you’re gonna get your butt into that studio and we’re gonna finish recording the song.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she waved off, turning away from the British producer.

What Theo didn’t see when she turned, though, was the blossoming smile on her face. All of her thoughts were consumed with the cheery, blue-eyed individual that turned her entire world upside down.

She hated Theo’s little pep talks, but had to admit, they worked. Especially if it meant she could think about Chloe some more.

* * *

“ _I see the shadows long beneath the mountain top. I'm not afraid when the rain won't stop, ‘cause you light the way. You light the way, you light the way_ ,” Beca sang into the microphone, eyes closed as she became consumed in the music.

As the song continued, the music in the headphones swelling and becoming more upbeat, the singer couldn’t help but break out a huge grin.

“ _I got all I need when I got you and I. I look around me, and see a sweet life. I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight. You're getting me, getting me through the night ..._ ”

Theo was bobbing his head to the beat, a matching grin on his lips as he recorded the set. He never got tired of watching Beca perform. She put her heart and soul into every performance, whether that be on stage, in the studio, or on the tour bus while on the road. 

She lived and breathed music. And it was never more apparent than right now.

Theo could already tell that ‘Flashlight’ was about to be one of the biggest — if not _the_ biggest hit of Beca’s career.

* * *

_One month later ..._

“ _You’re listening to BA-12 Radio, and we’re about to drop a sneak peek at Beca Mitchell’s new single, ‘Flashlight’,_ ” the host on the radio announced. " _I'm your host, JB._ "

At that bit of information, Chloe turned up the volume dial and listened intently. She was stuck in the morning traffic, having just dropped Eli off at school and trying to make her way to work. But, as usual, traffic was being less than cooperative. So she was gonna be here for a while.

It’d been a full month since she’d seen the artist. And Chloe was beginning to realize that Beca had completely forgotten about her and Eli. Not that she was surprised. She’s a celebrity after all.

Though, it didn’t make it hurt any less. Chloe had visited that coffee shop a week after they met, just as Flo and Amy had encouraged her, going nearly every day in hopes of running into Beca again. No such luck.

When the radio announcer mentioned the singer, all of those unexpected feelings she had for her came flooding back. With a tight grip on the steering wheel, her heart pounded a bit faster as she waited with anticipated breath.

The radio announcer continued, his voice filling the speakers of Chloe’s car. “ _We have Beca in the studio with us ..._ ”

This bit of information had Chloe’s grip fall even tighter on the wheel.

“ _Thanks for having me, JB._ ” Her voice was just as soothing as Chloe remembered.

“ _Glad you could make it. So, tell us about this new single you’ve written. From what your producers told us, it’s unlike anything we’ve heard from you before._ ”

“ _Mmhm. It’s uh, very different._ ”

“ _And what inspired you to mix things up and give your fans a new look at Beca Mitchell?_ ”

“ _Well,_ ” she started, “ _I was in a rut. Couldn’t find the right words, and it seemed like no matter what I put down on paper, was complete and utter ... uh, can- can I say ‘bullshit’ on the radio?_ ” 

This made Chloe chuckle a bit. 

“ _You just did, so why not a few more times?_ ” JB laughed.

“ _Oh, cool. Okay, um ... So all of it — everything I was writing down — was bullshit. Just awful, awful stuff, right?_ ”

“ _But then,_ ” Beca sighed, and Chloe could hear the smile in the brunette’s voice, which made her smile in return. “ _Then, I met this incredibly beautiful woman and her adorable kid in a coffee shop ..._ ”

Chloe’s heart stopped. Holy shit.


	7. Chapter 7

Chloe’s frozen, her hands maintaining their vice-like grip on the steering wheel.  
  
Did- did she just-? On the radio? For everybody to hear?  
  
Holy shit. She _did_.  
  
The redhead was completely immobile, unable to process the words that were coming out of her car speakers. It’s only when a blaring car horn behind her jarred her out of the million questions and thoughts currently tangled in her head.  
  
“Move it!” A harsh voice behind her called, before the screeching of tires on the pavement echo behind. A burly man in a huge truck blazed past her, but not before pressing down on his horn and flipping her off in the process.  
  
Chloe shook her head and drove forward. She managed to pull into a parallel spot a ways down, placing her car into park as soon as she got settled. She took a deep breath and stared at the radio on the console, the station numbers blinking at her, taunting her.  
  
Beca now has her undivided attention. Not that the singer knew that, but whatever. Right now, the only thing that mattered was what Beca said next, because she was addressing Chloe.  
  
_“So if – by some miracle – you’re listening to this, Red, please know that I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we first met. And I’d really like to see you again._ ”  
  
“Oh my god," Chloe murmured under her breath.  
  
_“Meet me tomorrow. Same time, same place ... hope to see you there.”_  
  
_“Wow, Beca,”_ JB said after a beat. _“Bet you feel better getting that off your chest, huh?”_  
  
_“I do, actually. Yeah.”_  
  
_”And for what it’s worth, I hope she shows up.”_  
  
_“Thanks, dude. Me too.”_  
  
The radio announcer was then directing his focus to his audience. _“Alright. You’ve heard it here first, folks — Beca Mitchell could officially be off the market. Only time will tell ... in the meantime, enjoy an exclusive sneak peek at her latest single, ‘Flashlight’.”_  
  
The opening chords of the song started playing and Chloe was completely silent, sitting in shock at what had just transpired. She couldn’t believe it.  
  
After a few moments, as she let her brain process everything, a huge smile formed and wasn’t leaving her lips any time soon, causing the redhead to start jumping wildly in her seat, hitting the steering wheel a couple of times in pure excitement.  
  
The squeal she let out garnered attention from a few pedestrians as they walked by her car. But she didn’t care.  
  
Not. One. Bit.

* * *

“Hey, James!” Chloe greeted as she strode into the clinic with a little bounce in her step, which caught the young man off-guard.  
  
James was sitting at the front desk, gathering all of the patient files for the day ahead and immediately stopped what he was doing when he saw her smiling like a madwoman.  
  
He wasn’t sure what to make of his boss’s peppy attitude, especially after having gotten off the phone with her earlier when she informed him she was running late because – to use her words – “the stupid traffic is being a bitch!”  
  
So when she walked in all smiles and giddy, he didn’t know how to react. He’d mentally prepared himself to face a grumpy Chloe. This humming, vibrant Chloe was ... well, unexpected.  
  
“Uh, morning?” He returned, brow furrowed in confusion.  
  
Chloe, not paying him any attention, started to shed herself of her jacket and headed for her office. She was singing under her breath and James could hear the word “flashlight” over and over again, not recognizing the song at all.  
  
The man stood from the desk, files in hand, and made his way to the back office, silently studying the bubbly redhead’s movements.  
  
“So,” he began, learning his throat, “We’ve got quite a few gnarly cases today. Gonna be a tough one.”  
  
He had anticipated that her mood would drop drastically at this, and he noted a flicker of sadness wash over her face, but she quickly regained her composure and was smiling as brightly as ever.  
  
Clapping her hands together, she squared him right in he eye and said, “Then we’ll do what we always do, take it case by case!”  
  
James merely nodded, all business now as he watched Chloe stride over to him and handed her the first patient of the day. She read through the file, taking note, and after a bit, she met her assistant’s eye.  
  
“Alright. Let’s crush this!”  
  
And all James could do was chuckle in acknowledgment, offering his own smile, before sticking his arm out toward the door and letting her walk through first. Only, she didn’t walk.  
  
James shook his head on a laugh when she skipped her way out of the office, with him following closely behind her.  
  
The young assistant didn’t have a damn clue why his boss’s mood had changed so suddenly in the span of 20 minutes. But whatever had happened between their phone call and her appearance, he wasn’t complaining. Her energy was contagious and he found himself in a better mood because of it.  
  
Maybe today wasn’t going to be as bad as he’d previously thought ...

* * *

“Oh my god. That was awful!” Beca groaned, a hand covering her face as the realization of what she had just done washed over her in waves. “I can’t believe I did that,” she said into the phone, sinking back into the backseat of the car.

She'd just been picked up from the radio station by her driver and was on her way home. Luckily, the interview was the only major event she had on the docket for the day, so she could curl up on her couch and try not to freak out about, well, everything.   
  
“It’s okay, Becs. Just calm down.”  
  
“Calm down? _Calm down?!_ Jesse, how the hell am I supposed to be calm after I practically poured my heart out into that song and declared my feelings for her on national radio?? And I told her to meet me tomorrow! What if- what if she doesn't show up?"

"Breathe, Beca. It'll be-"

"God. Just don't. Don't."

A sigh could be heard on the other end before, “Take it easy. Just trying to help.”

Great. Now she felt like a dick.  
  
Running a hand through her hair, Beca leaned forward so her elbows were resting on her knees as she took a couple deep breaths and tried to level out her wild emotions. Had Jesse tried to calm her down two years ago- hell, even two months ago, she would’ve likely said something she’d regret later and hung up on him.  
  
But she didn’t now, though. The singer liked to think she was growing up, at least a little bit. And it may or may not have been thanks to the beautiful redhead they were talking about ...  
  
“Sorry, Jess,” Beca apologized after a minute. “You’re- you’re right.”  
  
“Wow. Never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth.”  
  
His snide remark did just the trick and got Beca to smile. “Oh shut up.” Jesse just laughed on the other end.  
  
Beca didn’t like to admit it, but she relied on her best friend of 10 years for quite a lot. And no matter how busy their schedules got – with Beca being in New York or off touring and Jesse in L.A. scoring short films and television series – they rarely had time for each other anymore. But, if this phone call was anything to go by, the two would always be there for each other, even as they were on opposite sides of the country and only talked every now and then.

Beca did as Jesse had instructed and focused on her breathing, giving herself the time to calm down and not freak out about what she'd done. Beca didn't regret what she'd done, not really. But the countless text messages and missed phone calls from her manager and Sammy didn't make her feel any less overwhelmed than she already was.

Letting out a deep breath, Beca could feel the weight and strain leaving her shoulders, her heart beat slowing down significantly.

“So walk me through what happened, Becs," Jesse started. "How’d you meet this girl? What’s she like?”  
  
It was then that the petite singer realized that she hadn’t even mentioned Chloe to Jesse, like at all. She’d been so wrapped up in her music that she’d completely forgot to tell her best friend.  
  
Wow. She was on a roll today.  
  
“Right. Guess the beginning is a good place to start,” she chuckled nervously into the phone, staring out the window as the city passed her by.  
  
“As you know, endings are my favorite. But I guess the beginning is good too.”  
  
That made Beca laugh. “There’s no end in sight, yet. That all depends on if she heard me today and she actually shows up tomorrow.”  
  
“She did, and she will," he reassured. "So, the beginning?” Jesse asked, all too eager to hear what his friend had to say. Beca could practically picture him with a bowl of popcorn, ready to go.  
  
“It was about a month ago, and I was at this little coffee shop ...”

* * *

After Beca had finished recounting their first meeting, she remained quiet and waited for Jesse to speak. But the line was dead silent. “Jess? You there?” A quick glance at her phone told her they were still connected.  
  
“I’m here,” he answered. “Sorry, just processing it all. Sounds like one of my movies."

"How'd I know you would immediately tie into one of your ridiculous romantic movies?"

He pretended to sound offended, and it only made the singer chuckle. Jesse and movies, there was no breaking that up.

"Hey. I'll have you know that movies are rooted in real life, okay? Just because you don't like movies, doesn't mean that they don't hold some merit. And besides, I never said it sounded like one of my romantic movies. That was all you."

He had her there. Shit.

Jesse then grew serious, "It seems like you really like this girl.”  
  
Just the mere thought of her had Beca smiling like an idiot. “Yeah, she’s pretty amazing. Her kid’s not half bad either.”  
  
Being the overprotective friend that he is, Jesse couldn’t help but ask, “And you’re okay with that? The kid, I mean?”  
  
Beca took a minute to think about it. It was a first for her. She’s dated plenty of men and women over the years, none of them having kids. Well, at least none that she knew of. It was never really something Beca saw for herself, being a mom.

Then, Beca had to take a step back and stop herself. Wait, she wasn’t even dating Chloe yet! Hell, she didn’t even know if the woman would show up tomorrow. She can't just jump right into the whole pseudo-mom scenario. _Way_ too soon for that.

“I’ve never been a big kid person–“  
  
“Oh, believe me. I know,” Jesse said, smirking while he did it.  
  
“–But Eli is something special."  
  
“For what it’s worth, Beca, it sounds like they could be really good for you.”  
  
Beca smiled. “They already have been, dude.”  
  
“So, you never told me what it is Chloe does.”  
  
Oh shit. Beca’s eyes got wide in realization. “Oh my god ...”  
  
Jesse got anxious. “What? What is it?”  
  
“I have no fucking clue,” she gasped, which in turn caused Jesse to start laughing. “Hey,” the singer chided, “It’s not funny! I’m serious. I don't know what she does!”  
  
Then yet another realization hit her. “Shit. I don’t even know what her last name is!”  
  
This only made Jesse laugh harder.  
  
“It’s not– it’s not funny, Jesse!”  
  
“Oh, come _on_ , Beca. It’s hysterical!” He cried out, a laugh or two still bubbling to the surface. “You practically told this woman on national radio how you feel and yet, you don’t know a damn thing about her!”  
  
Then, he started laughing again. And Beca, as hard as she tried, couldn’t help but laugh along with him.  
  
It _was_ pretty funny ...  
  
As their laughter subsided, Beca could hear some shuffling in the background and knew that their phone call was just about up. Her theory came true when Jesse sighed and said something away from the phone.  
  
He then directed his attention back to the singer. “Becs? I’m so sorry, but I’ve got to go. Something came up.”  
  
Nodding her head, but then realizing he couldn’t see her, she said, “Go, go, go. You’ve got an angst-filled vampire flick to go score.”  
  
Before bidding goodbye, he couldn’t help but tell his friend, “And hey. She’ll be there tomorrow. Okay? Text me with updates.”  
  
“I will, weirdo. Talk to you later!”  
  
“Good luck, Becs! Oh! And maybe figure out what Chloe’s last name is. And, you know, her job. Just minor things, nothing important or-”  
  
“ _Bye_ , Jesse.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Mom, why are we leaving so early?” Eli whined from his spot at the counter, his head perched on his folded arms while he watched his mom rush around the kitchen like a crazy person.

The poor kid had been knocked out cold before his mom came stomping into his room, instructing him to get a move on. 

It was _way_ too early for him to be awake. But his mom didn’t seem to realize this. She was too busy looking for her purse, which was over by the front door where she had left it the night before in preparation for the day ahead.

With a weak arm, Eli pointed to the front entryway, “Door.”

Chloe whirled around and followed her son’s gesture, her eyes landing on the seemingly missing object. 

“Because, bubba,” she finally explained as she briskly walked over to grab her purse, “I have a very important meeting this morning and I don’t want to be late. So we have to get you to school a little early.”

“Will you get in trouble?”

Chloe hesitated to answer. She didn’t have it in her to tell Eli _who_ this meeting (date?) was with, just in case it didn’t go well. She didn’t want to get his hopes up.

“Uh, well, I wouldn’t get in trouble, exactly,” she started as she gathered her phone and keys before helping the struggling seven-year-old off the tall stool and onto his feet, “it just wouldn’t be very nice to not show up when I said I would.”

 _Okay_. So that wasn’t entirely true ...

She never told Beca she was gonna be at the coffee shop. How could she? It’s not like she could call her up and tell her so.

“Gotta keep the promises we make. Right?”

Eli slowly nodded his head, not having the energy to say anything.

Chloe felt awful for making Eli get up so early. The poor kid was practically falling asleep next to her the entire walk to the elevator and as they rode it down. She gave his hand a little squeeze and smiled at him when he gave a forced, closed-mouth smile in return. 

Then, she had an idea.

Hoping this would lift his spirits and wake him up a little bit more, Chloe - as nonchalantly as she could - asked Eli, “How about, as a thank you for being a superstar and helping Mom get to her meeting on time, we stay up late, watch a movie, and eat as many sweets as we possibly can?”

This bit of news piqued his interest, his head shooting up and his eyes opening wide in shock. “On a school night?”

“You betcha.”

The once quiet, sagging seven-year-old quickly vanished, and in his place was a bouncing, hyper seven-year-old. 

Chloe started laughing when he began talking a million miles per hour about what movie he wanted to watch and was already planning their night ahead. This continued all the way on their walk to the car.

Once buckled in, the two Beales were soon on the road. Luckily, traffic was light this morning and they made it to Eli’s school in record time. Helping him with his bag, Chloe gave Eli a big hug and kiss and sent him on his way.

“I’ll pick you up as soon as school is out, okay?”

“Then movies and junk food?” Eli asked in a small voice, hoping that their plans hadn’t changed in the 20 minutes that it took to drive here.

Chloe smirked. “Then movies and junk food.”

Giving his mom one more hug, Eli squeezed her legs as tight as he could. “Love you,” he mumbled.

“Love you too, little man. Now go on," she ushered, "Go learn something and have fun.”

Laughing, he promised his mom that he would and, before he headed into the school, he wished his mom good luck at her meeting. Chloe stayed for a few minutes, watching her son disappear behind the large wooden doors with a smile tugging at her lips. More and more parents were starting to drop their children off now, so Chloe took that as her cue to leave. 

Pulling away from the curb, she headed back home, on her way to the coffee shop. Sure, it's a lot of back and forth, but she didn’t care. It was worth it.

Well, at least she hoped it was.

The drive back took a little longer than it did leaving, and that meant she had more time to think about Beca. The only problem with that was the more she thought of the singer, the more nervous she became.

“ _Shit_ ,” she whispered, her stomach now knotted and tight. 

Was this really happening? Was she actually going to meet Beca Mitchell for coffee, _again_? And this time, _on purpose_?

Yeah. Yeah, she was.

She swears under her breath over and over again, palms sweating as she shifted in her seat and did her best to focus on the road ahead and not crash before she got to her destination.

This coffee date (meeting?) was all the redhead has been thinking about since she heard Beca on the radio yesterday. She’d been excited and, according to her assistant James, unfocused all day. Chloe hardly got any sleep last night, too wired like a kid on Christmas Eve and unable to do anything else but think of the day to come. 

But now that the day was upon her, she found herself very, _very_ nervous.

God, what if Beca doesn’t even show up? What if it was a cruel prank?

Before she could think any more “what if’s,” she was pulling up a block away from the coffee shop.

This was it. 

Blowing out a puff of air, Chloe stepped out of her car, purse and keys in hand, and cautiously walked up to the storefront. Her sweaty hands were shaking when she grasped the handle and stepped inside. 

A quick run of her fingers through her red curls and glance around the small shop bought her some time to get her nerves in check. Chloe awkwardly stood near the entrance, not sure if she should order something or wait until a certain brunette made an appearance.

That's when she wondered if Beca would even recognize her from last time? 

Looking down at her state of dress, Chloe sighed. She was clad in a pair of dark blue scrubs and a gray sweatshirt; it was her usual outfit choice, something she wore every day to work, but today she felt severely underdressed. Scrunching her nose, bottom lip between her teeth, she pondered if she had enough time to run home and change.

Making a split second decision, she turned around and began making her way outside. Only, a solid object stunted her progression forward, nearly knocking her onto the sidewalk. Unfortunately, the momentum pushed the other person flat on their behind.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” she apologized, feeling embarrassed at her own clumsiness. Chloe reached out a hand, “Let me help you–” 

But she immediately stopped when she realized who it was.

Even with a ball cap on her head and a pair of big sunglasses, Chloe knew it was Beca that she’d accidentally hit. And she wanted to die right there on the spot, because _of course_ this would happen. 

“You know,” the brunette said with a grin, wiping off her pants with her hands once she was on her feet again, “we’ve really got to stop running into each other like this, Chloe. It’s starting to hurt.”

“Beca. I’m sorry. I didn’t– Uh ... hi?”

She laughed. “Hey, Red.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to @lucyajohnson on Tumblr! <3

The two women found themselves tucked into a small corner of the coffee shop, swapping stories and simply learning more about one another. Neither had any clue as to how long they’d been there for, but they covered a wide variety of topics and discussions, all of which only made them want to spend more time together.  
  
There was a certain ... easiness to it all. It was comfortable and unlike anything they’d experienced before.  
  
Beca didn’t feel like she had to put on a façade like she normally did when dealing with the pressures that come with being in the spotlight. And Chloe didn’t have to try so hard to be as put together as she normally was at work or in other aspects of her life.  
  
Plus, all of the nerves Chloe had been feeling earlier vanished as soon as Beca smiled up at her. After being knocked to the ground, of course.  
  
Beca wouldn’t let that go for the duration of their coffee orders either, much to the embarrassment of Chloe. She even managed to distract the flustered redhead long enough to buy their drinks, yet again.  
  
The singer could only smile at how red Chloe would get. It was adorable.  
  
Chloe insisted that she repay her for this round _and_ the previous one. And Beca, not wanting this date, or whatever the hell they wanted to call it, to end just yet, let her. She watched, smiling like an idiot, as the other woman strutted over to the counter to buy them some pastries once they’d finished their coffee.  
  
Chloe came back waving a pastry excitedly in each hand, looking far too happy about the fact that the shop’s seasonal goodies were now available. Not one for sweet treats, Beca tried the pumpkin bread because, _hello_ , a beautiful woman bought it for her. Besides, how could she to say no to that smile?  
  
And she was surprised to find that she actually liked it. As they both munched on their newly acquired treats, the duo continued talking and that’s when the topic of the Bellas eventually came up.  
  
“I didn’t know you could sing,” Beca said, becoming more intrigued with this woman the more time she spent with her.  
  
“Well, used to. Not so much any more.”  
  
“How come?”  
  
Chloe’s demeanor changed as she processed the question, her shoulders slumping a tad and her smile dropping. “Ah, that’s a good question.”  
  
And it was then that Beca realized this was a sensitive topic, so she tried to mend that. “Sorry. Too personal? We can talk about something else?”  
  
Shaking her head, Chloe forced a smile on her lips when she met Beca’s eyes, who could see her eyes starting to well with tears. “No, no. It’s okay. I just, haven’t really talked about this in a long time.”  
  
All Beca could do was nod in understanding and wait until Chloe was ready.  
  
Taking a deep breath, the redhead eventually spoke, “I stopped singing because I had Eli and I wasn’t exactly able to perform like I used to, because, well ... you know. And so I dropped out, much to the dismay of my co-captain, Aubrey. She got over it eventually, and she’s been there ever since.”  
  
Beca nodded, liking the sound of this Aubrey person.  
  
Chloe then forced a smile, “She stayed when nobody else did.”  
  
“Your parents didn’t help you?” Beca asked curiously, remembering their first meeting when Chloe said she raised Eli on her own.  
  
“No ... They didn’t.”  
  
Chloe jumped a bit when a comforting hand landed on her arm all of a sudden, not expecting the contact. She looked down at the hand then up to find Beca staring at her with a soft expression.  
  
“I’m sorry, Chloe,” the brunette said, barely above a whisper.  
  
Overcome with emotions, a stray tear fell down her cheek. Chloe then placed a hand over Beca’s before saying, “Thanks. And I’m the one who should be sorry. This probably wasn’t how you imagined this going,” Chloe apologized on a laugh, wiping away the tear with her other hand. “I’m usually not this emotional, I promise.”  
  
Unable to do anything but smile, Beca then said, with a soft squeeze of her hand, “Don’t be sorry. You’re perfect.”  
  
Her compliment caused a pink hue to color Chloe’s cheeks, the skin growing warm with each passing second. “I’m really not.”  
  
“You are to me.”  
  
The intensity in which Beca’s words were said only made Chloe blush even more. She shook her head, “You’re quite the sweet talker there, Beca.”  
  
The singer shrugged her shoulders, trying to play it off as cool as possible. “What can I say? It’s a gift.” Chloe laughed.  
  
Chloe was about to say something in response when her phone started to ring, “Oops. Sorry.” Reaching in her purse, she grabbed the device and looked down at the caller ID, frowning.  
  
It was Eli’s school.  
  
“I- uh, have to take this,” she explained, standing abruptly and motioning to the door. “I’ll be right back. One sec.”  
  
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere,” Beca said.  
  
As soon as she stepped outside of the shop she hit the green button and answered the call. “This is Chloe Beale,” she greeted. “Hi, Ms. Robertson ... I’m good. How are you? ... Good ... No, not a bad time. Is everything okay? ... He- he what? ... Yes. Yes, I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thank you ... Bye.”  
  
Making a mad dash inside, Chloe beelined it for the table where Beca sat, waiting for her to return. Once she felt the redhead’s presence moving closer, she smiled, but it quickly faded as soon as she saw the frightened look on her face.  
  
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Standing up, she met Chloe halfway as the redhead was briskly walking toward her.  
  
Feeling her chest constrict, Chloe couldn’t think. “That- that was Eli’s school. He ... he got in a fight with another kid and- I, uh, have to go. I’m so sorry.“  
  
“It’s okay. I totally understand,” Beca said, trying to be as comforting as possible. “Your kid comes first. Go, go, go.”  
  
Chloe grabbed her things, frantically putting her hoodie on at the same time, all while her mind was all over the place.  
  
She had no clue what could have possibly happened to cause Eli to pick a fight with another kid. Or maybe it’d been the other way around? The school receptionist hadn’t been very helpful, not giving her many details as to what happened. All she said was that Eli and this other student, Devon, got in a fist fight and that she needed to come to the school right away.  
  
Now, Eli wasn’t the kind of kid to get in trouble. He wasn’t mean spirited or hateful in any way. In fact, just the opposite. Something didn’t add up.  
  
Beca watched as Chloe’s mind went a million miles per hour and she grew worried. “Red?” The nickname grabbed her attention. “Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?”  
  
Fingers fumbling with her keys, Chloe shook her head. “No. I’m not. I-“ She huffed as her keys fell to the ground due to her nerves making an appearance again.  
  
Stepping up to her, Beca knelt down and picked up the keys. She then asked, “This might sound crazy, and it probably is, because we’ve only met once before today, but ... Would you like me to go with you, you know, for moral support?”

Chloe could only nod.  
  
“Okay.” The brunette plucked her own keys, wallet, and phone from the table before pocketing them, slipped her hat and glasses back on, and led the way. “Let’s go.”  
  
Once the duo arrived at Chloe’s car, Chloe didn’t flinch when Beca politely asked for her keys and got in the driver’s seat. “You’re in no state to drive,” was her explanation.  
  
Chloe couldn’t find it in herself to argue, silently sliding into the front passenger seat and buckling her seatbelt. All she could think of was her son, her _baby_. He’d been hurt and there was nothing she could do about it. Many mixed emotions rushed through her - sadness, anger, confusion ...  
  
“Hey,” a voice called to her left, bringing her out of her thoughts. Chloe turned her head just as Beca leaned in closer, her right hand dropping down to grab Chloe’s left. She gave a gentle squeeze. “It’s gonna be okay.”  
  
All Chloe could muster up was a small “thank you,” giving a squeeze of her own.  
  
Beca gave a small smile before she started up the car and opened the GPS on her phone, handing it to Chloe so she could punch in the address to the school.  
  
A few minutes later, they were on the road. Chloe’s hand never let go of Beca’s the entire drive there.


	10. Chapter 10

As soon as Beca pulled into the visitor’s parking lot of the school, a frantic Chloe was fidgeting in the passenger seat, not even waiting for the car to come to a full-stop before she was out and racing for the front doors.

Not entirely sure if she should wait in the car or follow her in, the singer paused her movements as she stepped outside, keys in hand.

“Um ... Chloe?”

The woman in question was already halfway up the steps that led to the entrance when her name being called halted her.

“Are you coming?” Chloe asked, voice, while stronger and more confident than before, still shaky from worry.

“I– uh, do you want me to? I can go, or wait here if that’s–“

“Beca.”

Hands now stuffed in her pant pockets, she tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows. “Hmm?”

Chloe slowly, and calmly, walked back down the steps to meet Beca at the car. She reached out, lightly grasping Beca’s forearm, thumb mindlessly moving back and forth as she spoke, “Please come inside with me.”

Unable to say no to those puppy-like eyes and sad pout, Beca merely nodded and followed the redhead up the stairs and into the school.

* * *

“Miss Beale,” a short blonde woman, Ms. Robertson the receptionist, greeted as they made their way inside, not even giving Chloe or Beca the chance to say anything in return. “Principal Moore will see you shortly. Please have a seat.”

They followed her outstretched arm and that’s when their eyes clapped on a solemn-looking Eli, who was currently nursing an ice pack on his left eye.

Chloe immediately rushed over to her son. “Oh, bubba.”

Eli looked up when he heard his mom’s voice and he got up to meet her halfway, nearly knocking her over with the force of his hug.

“Are you okay?” Chloe asked in a whisper, kissing the top of her son’s head. Eli slowly nodded, his arms tightening around his mom as he held her.

Beca watched from the receptionist’s desk, a small smile on her face as she watched their interaction. The singer eventually met the seven-year-old’s gaze as he peaked over and his demeanor changed in a flash.

“Beca!”

She gave a small wave. “Hey, little man.”

Looking up at his mom, his smile matched hers. He silently asked if he could go see the other woman, and Chloe simply nodded, with a soft “go on” and a little nudge.

Eli ran toward Beca as fast as he could, ice pack held loosely in his left hand, and Chloe laughed as he latched himself to Beca’s legs with such force that it caused her to take a few steps back just so she could maintain her balance. She heard Chloe offer a quick apology for her rambunctious son, but was too busy fending off said son.

“Whoa. Easy there, dude,” she laughed, ruffling his red hair with her fingers. “How you holding up?”

Pulling away, Eli was all smiles as he stared up at her. Beca could now see the purple and blue bruise coloring the skin around his left eye.

She whistled. “Quite the shiner you’ve got there. Is the ice helping?” A raise of the ice pack and a nod of his head were her answers. “Good. Now, come on, let’s go sit with your mom.”

“You’re staying?” He seemed both excited and surprised at this, and Beca winked at him.

“You betcha!”

A small hand then became tangled with hers, leading her toward Chloe. Beca followed the seven-year-old before they all took a seat on the bench outside of Principal Moore’s office, waiting. Eli sat in the middle of the two women, one hand holding the ice pack to his eye and the other still in Beca’s grasp, while Chloe had her arm around his shoulders.

The trio sat in silence for a few minutes before the wood door opened and its occupants filed out. And Chloe wasn’t the least bit surprised when she saw who it was, because _of course_ it’d be them. And _of course_ it’d be their kid. She should’ve known.

“Gail. John,” Chloe greeted, standing tall against the two individuals.

“Beale,” Gail practically hissed, her hand resting on her son’s shoulders, who, Chloe noticed, had quite the busted lip and bruised cheek.

Looks like Eli had fought back.

The three then left the front office without another word, but not before giving heated looks in Beca and Eli’s direction. At this, Eli visible shrunk in his seat and Beca, without hesitation, brought her arms around him in an attempt to protect him.

“Miss Beale?” Principal Moore called from his office. “You may come in now.”

And the way he said it made Chloe felt as if she were the one in trouble. With pleading eyes, she looked at Beca and then Eli before meeting the brunette’s gaze.

“Can you–“

“Not going anywhere. Besides, I think we’ll be able to handle ourselves without you for a bit,” Beca grinned, trying to keep the mood light for Eli’s sake but also for Chloe’s. She’d been a wreck the entire drive here and Beca honestly had no clue how she was holding it together at the moment.

“Ain’t that right, little man?” The singer asked, wiggling her eyebrows and making him laugh.

Chloe mouthed a “thank you” before she walked in and shut the door. The last thing she heard was Beca asking her kid if there was a vending machine around, and that alone eased her anxiety.

* * *

“There was some kind of argument between Eli and Devon that started before the first recess period ended,” Principal Moore explained from behind his oak desk. He had his hands folded on top and had this blank expression on his face, one that Chloe couldn’t quite read.

“It got ... very heated outside on the playground,” he continued, “And Devon hit Eli.”

“Okay. So when you say ‘hit’ – I mean, how did he hit him? Did he push him?”

“Oh no. He punched him ... in the face. Then, your son retaliated by pushing him back.”

Chloe sighed, hand clutching her forehead as she processed everything. “Is Devon gonna be okay?”

“He’ll be okay. It didn’t go further than the one punch.”

At least that was somewhat reassuring. “I just– this is not like Eli,” Chloe explained with a shake of her head.

The principal nodded his head in agreement. “Eli is very well-behaved. I was shocked when they told me that he was involved in this. Is he ... acting okay at home? Sleeping all right?”

“Yes. Yeah, nothing out of the ordinary,” she answered with a shrug of her shoulders. “I did wake him up a bit earlier than usual this morning but only because I had somewhere to be.”

“I see,” he said, leaning back in his chair. Chloe could feel the judgment radiating off of him, it was all over his face. She was grateful he didn’t comment further.

“I know you’re a single parent ... Has there been some sort of shakeup with Eli’s father? Because, sometimes–“

“No,” Chloe piped in harshly. “I mean, his, uh – his father is not in the picture. It’s just us.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry.” Chloe mentally rolled her eyes at that. “We just want to find out what’s going on with Eli and make sure that this is an isolated incident for him.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

* * *

“Beca?” Eli called, the two sitting side by side in the front office, a pile of candy and snacks sitting between them.

They’d found the vending machine and Beca may or may not have bought the two of them handfuls of different treats. She’d wanted to cheer the kid up. And yeah, she probably should have asked Chloe before loading her son up with sugar, but she couldn’t think of anything else. The poor kid was practically falling apart.

At the sound of her name, the brunette looked down at the small boy with a concerned expression. His voice had been so soft, so quiet, that she knew it had to be about something serious. He’d been so animated and lively as they conspired to get as many goodies as they could, but that time had passed and the reality of what happened had finally caught up with him.

She shifted her body so that she was sitting with her side leaning against the wall, angled towards the seven-year-old. “What’s up? You okay?”

Eli gave a nod of his head, but then shook it very quickly. So Beca, while a bit hesitant, reached over and gave his arm a little poke with her finger.

“Hey,” She whispered, meeting his gaze. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” Another nod. “So, I don’t know. Talk to me, little man. Maybe I can help?”

In all honesty, Beca had no flipping clue what she was doing! But, she liked the kid and he was hurting right now, which was something that killed her to see. Plus, she was really fond of his mom – she wouldn’t be here, in an elementary school of all places, if she wasn’t. If helping her son out gave Chloe a bit of a break, then that’s what Beca was gonna do.

“You wanna tell me what happened with you and that other kid?”

Eli let out a big sigh before speaking up. “He punched me and I hit him back.”

“Well, I know that part, silly. I mean, why did he punch you? Did he say something?” Eli just nodded his head. Beca could see tears welling in his eyes, so it had to have been something hurtful.

“He– he ...” He started, but couldn’t seem to get the words out. His bottom lip was trembling and he’d completely disregarded the candy bar clutched in his hand. “He said that because I don’t have a dad that I shouldn’t have a mom. Then he called me a mama’s boy.”

Beca sucked in a breath. God, kids were ruthless.

“I didn’t mean to, but I told him to shut up and ... he punched me.” That’s when Eli started crying. And Beca, well, she had no idea how to console him.

“Um ... I’m real sorry, Eli,” she said softly, leaning in closer. “Kids can be mean.”

He looked up at her with tears streaming down his face, a red nose and cheeks, and a confused look. “How do you know?”

“Because,” she started, taking a deep breath. “I used to be bullied when I was younger.”

Wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand, Eli had an expression of awe. “You did?”

“Mmhm. Kids used to pick on me, push me, and call me names. It hurt and I didn’t have many friends because of it.” Beca reached down and grabbed Eli’s hand, “But you know what?”

“What?”

“I never, ever, hit them back.”

Eli dropped his head in shame, the tears spilling more and more. He knew that what he did was wrong as soon as it had happened. But Devon had made him so angry that he didn’t know what else to do.

“And you shouldn’t either. Right?”

He sniffled, “Right.”

Just then, the door to Principal Moore’s office opened and Chloe stepped out with Principal Moore in tow. Eli and Beca watched in silence as the two spoke in hushed whispers before shaking hands, Principal Moore disappearing into his office once again.

Chloe turned to face the two of them, a sad smile on her lips. She eyed the candy bars scattered about their laps and on the bench and shook her head with a laugh. She had a lot to talk about with Eli, but that could wait until later. Right now, she just needed to take her kid home.

“Looks like you two found the vending machine after all,” she chuckled, walking over to kneel in front of her son and grasping a hand in her own. “You ready to head home, bubba?”

Eli frowned, not understanding why he wasn’t going back to class. “But– but what about school?”

“Principal Moore asked that I take you home for the day. What do you say? Wanna play hooky?” Chloe winked, smiling when it made her son grin as he told her yes.

He then tore his gaze over to Beca. “You’re coming with us, right?”

That’s when the two grown women met eye-to-eye, both waiting in anticipation of what the other one was gonna say. Neither wanted to stop spending time together, but Beca was feeling like she had overstayed her welcome, so to speak. It wouldn’t feel right taking away some much-needed family time just because their date(?) had been interrupted.

Yet, before her thoughts took her mind any further than it needed to go, Chloe was knocking them away with a few simple words.

“We’d love to have you join us.”

“I couldn’t intrude. I feel like I have already.”

Chloe reached over with the hand that wasn’t holding Eli’s and grasped Beca’s knee. She felt more confident and touchy-feely the longer she spent with Beca, and she could only hope that the contact wasn’t too much for the singer.

“You haven’t been intruding. Not even close,” Chloe explained with a squeeze of her hand, causing Beca to feel shivers down her spine at the electric touch. “In fact, I don’t think we’re gonna take no for answer!” She turned to her son, “Right, Eli?”

He bounced on his bum, single arm raised in the air. “Right!” Both women laughed at his enthusiasm.

The redhead turned her attention back on the brunette, and asked, “So? Whaddaya say?”

The two Beales then ruthlessly gave Beca the poutiest faces she’s _ever_ seen. They were conspiring against her, and damn, if it wasn’t working. Eli even threw in a “pretty please with a cherry on top,” and that alone had Beca sold.

With a heave of her shoulders, she rolled her eyes dramatically and gave a large sigh. It was all for show, mostly for Eli. A little bit for Chloe.

“If I have to,” she said with a huge grin.


End file.
